Improvement in compound ordnance



breech end of the A tube.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM PALLIsEE, or LONDON, ENGLAND.

lMPRovEMl-:NT IN coM'PouND oRDNANcE.

Specification formingpart of Letters Patent No. 196,695, dated October30, 1877 5 application filed October 15g, 1877.

claim and desire to secure' by Letters Patentthat is to say:

My invention relates to the construction of compositeguns,particularlyguns of large caliber, in suchamaimer as to obtain great strength andinertia at moderate cost. For this purpose I construct a gun in threemain partsfirst, a coiled wrought-iron inner o r A tube, which islclosed at its breech end by a plug screwed into it; secondly, a coiledwroughtiron outer orB tube, iitting over and inclosing the whole lengthof the A tube; and, thirdly, a heavy cast-iron breech-casing, whichv hasa solid breech and cascabel, and extends forward over somewhat morethanhalf the length of the barrel, being provided at the front end rwitha screw-ring, which bears against a shoulder on the B tube.

The B tube is shrunk on the A tube; and, to facilitate this in the caseof long guns, the interior of the B tube andthe exterior of the A tubemay be slightly tapered. I prefer to make the B tube of two separatelengths, making the length at the breech end considerably thicker thanthe other length, the A tube being made proportionately thinner at thebreech end. In this case the exterior of the A'tube is tapered inopposite directions from the point where the two lengths of the B tubemeet, which are tapered internally in a corresponding manner, so thateach length can be slid onto the A tube from opposite ends.

At the point of junction of the two lengths of B tube I form on the Atube a collar, against which the outer length of the B tube bears, inorder to impart longitudinal strength to the If the B tube is made inone continuous length, the breech end of the A tube is made slightlythicker than the muzzle end, thus forming a collar or shoulder at thejiniction of the two thicknesses, against which an interior shoulder. onthe B. tube bears, the breech end4 of this tube being of enlarged innerdiameter, so as to iit the enlarged outer diameter ofthe A tube.

The breech-casingis cast hollow and bored; or it maybe merely lapped orground out to form an easyiit over'the B tube, which is pushed into it,a small vent for the escape of air having been previously bored throughthe breech of the casing. A

Figure lof the accompanying drawings shows a longitudinal section of acomposite gun constructed according to my invention, the B tube being,in this case, formed in two separate lengths, as described.

' Aistheinnercoiledwroughtirontube,closedy at the breech by thescrew-plug a, for which is provided a thread proj ectin g internally inthe A tube, so that the latter is not weakened by cutting thethreadintoits substance.

B B' are the two lengths of the outer coiled wrought-iron tube, whichare shriuik on the A tube, the latter being provided with a collar,

or shoulder, a', at their junction, against which the tube Bl is made tobear.A From this point the outer surface of the A tube is tapered incontrary directions toward each end, the breech part being made thinnerthan the muzzle part, as shown, while the part B of the outer tube ismade correspondingly thicker than the part B. The latter is securedinthecast-iron breechcasing C by the ring c, screwed into it, and pressingagainstthe collar b, formed or screwed on the tube B. I prefer to screwthis collar onto a raised thread on the tube, as shown more clearly atthe enlarged detail of this part of the gun at Fig. 3, as, if the collarwere formed on the tube, it would be necessary to forge this ofconsiderable thickness. The raised thread is made of suicient length toafford the requisite bearing-surface to take the thrust, and it shouldrun in the contrary direction to that of the ring c or the collar bshould be prevented from turning by means of a pin or other wellknowndevice. From the collar b the tube B is tapered in thickness externallytoward the muzzle end, as shown. It should be made to bear well againstthe collar or shoulder a of 4 presses B against the collar a. Bl iswarmed and shrunk over the A tube, the

the A tube, in order to impart longitudinal strength to the thin breechend of the latter. This is eected by the screw-ringv c, which If thetube former, when cold, will be in a state of longitudinal tension, aswell as circumferential tension, and when the iirst shot is iired thetube B will contract longitudinally. Owing, however, to the pressure putupon B by the screw-ring c in the direction toward the breech end, theentire longitudinal contraction will take place in that direction, andconsequently B will be prevented from shrinking away from the eollar a.

The cast-iron casing has the end face formed perpendicular to the tubeB', in order to give strength to resist any tendency of the casing tobegin to split at that point; and its inner edge, where the ring cscrews into it, should be rounded olf, as shown at Fig. 3. It shouldalso be well hollowed out behind the thread, as shown, so as to make thefront part, in which the screw-thread is cut, stronger than the partimmediately behind it, and thus insure that there shall be no tendencyto fracture at that front end. The casing is cast hollow, and bored orground out, to lit over the tubes B B.

Fig. 2 shows a longitudinal section of the modiiication ofthe gun,wherein the B tube is constructed of one entire length, suitable forguns of smaller caliber than that for which the design Fig. 1 isintended. The only difference between the two constructions is that inthis case the breech end of the A tube is formed of enlarged externaldiameter instead of being made thinner, the interior diameter of thebreech end of B being also correspondingly enlarged, thus forming ashoulder at b', which is pressed againstthe shoulder a of A by means ofthe screw-ring c, in precisely the same manner as described withreference to Fig. l.

For guns of large caliber I preferto use'the construction shown in Fig.1 because, bymaking the breech end of the Atube comparatively thin,sound welds are insured, and should it crack or the welds open, thefissure is prevented from extending in depth so as to become dangerousto the safety of the gun.

Having thus described the nature of my said invention, and the bestmeans I am acquainted with for carrying it out in practice, I claiml. Acomposite gun consisting of a coiled wrought-iron A tube, of a coiledwrought-iron B tube (in onelength or in two separate lengths) shrunkthereon, and of aheavy cast-iron breechcasing, C, stopping short at somedistance from the muzzle, and holding the B tube by means of ascrew-collar, o, substantially as herein described.

2. In composite guns constructedy according to the rst claim, the collaror shoulder a on the A tube, operating in combination with a shoulder onthe B tube, the collar b, and screwring c, for affording longitudinalsupport to the breech end of the A tube, substantially as hereindescribed.

3. A composite4 gun consistingof a coiledr wrought-iron A tube, of acoiled wrought-iron B tube (in one length orin two separate lengths)shrunk thereon, and of a heavy cast-iron breechcasing,C, theB tubebeingmadeto press against a shoulder on the A tube by means of ascrewring, c, screwed into the casing C, and bearin g against a collaron the B tube, substantially as and for the purposes herein described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this speciiication in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses this 28th day of September, 187 7.

WILLIAM' rALLIsEn.

Witnesses: Y

JNO. P. M, MILLARD, GHAs. BERKLEY HARRIS.

